Lieut. H. Vasey Wood has been killed in action in France. Lieut. Wood was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Wood, of Essendon, and was a member of the dental profession. He passed through the dental school at the Melbourne University, and was a member of the honorary clinical staff of the Melbourne Dental Hospital.

SCOTO-AUSTRALIANS HELP TO WIN THE WAR. (1917, March 29). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 6 Edition: Morning. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74602118

LIEUTENANT H. V. WOOD.

Amongst the casualties in the latest list appears the name of Lieut. H. V. Wood, killed in action in France. Lieut. Wood, who was a promising young dentist, en listed as a private in 1915. When a sergeant, he was sent to the Bendigo camp. He received his commission in March, 1916, and was then transferred to the 39th Battalion, then training at Ballarat.

LIEUTENANT H. V. WOOD. (1917, March 29). Bendigonian (Bendigo, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 9. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90851999

Red Cross Missing and Wounded Enquiry Bureau Correspondence

K. March 3rd 1917 Det C/B
He was wounded up near Le Transloy at the beginning of march just before the Germans went back. It was at the time we attacked and took a very important trench.  I was at a place called "Miller's Son", where some big dug-outs were, when Lt Wood was brought down.  The dressing station was there.  He was much cut about and he died and was buried close to.  It is near the Sunken Road towards Le Transloy. 

Ref.  Pte Darcy, 3344.  Ho 16 Gen Hospital.

Lt Wood was the OC of our Co, C Co.  He was blown up by a shell in Needle trench near Montauban and was buried close to where he fell near the trench.  I was present when he was killed, but the date given in the book, viz 3rd March is wrong.  I am sure he was killed much earlier, I think in January.  I came back from the Base on 3rd February to the Bn, and he was killed a considerable time before that.  I cannot be mistaken in the name as he was our O C in Australia, and came over with us and I knew him very well indeed.
Ref:  Pte T Thomason, 3635.  No 5 General, Rouen 7.7.17

He came from Victoria and, I think, was a dentist or Doctor.  I had known him about three months.  He came with the 7th or 6th reinforcements to the 29th Battalion, and was the only officer of this name in the Battalion:  he belonged to D Co, I saw his grave on Needle Dump, alongside Needle Trench.  There is a cross with his name, rank and Battalion on it:  I could point out the spot.
Informant Pte G L King, 1939, 29th Australians, B co, 8th Pltn, Co R Q, Australian Camp, Rouelles.

This officer had just joined the battalion and I think he was in C Co but am not certain.  He was the only Officer of the name in the battalion. Cpl A? Broom of A Co 21st platoon, told me he has put a cross on this officer's grave just behind Sunray Trench.  Cpl Broom was wounded and in England now in Hospital.
Informant, L/Cpl T B Drew, 3784

I was not an eye-witness of this casualty, but my informant was Lieut Harris of 29th Battn who was. Lieut Harris informed me that he was with Lieut Wood when the latter was killed instantly by a shell on March 3rd 1917.  He (Wood) was in charge of an attacking party on the Somme, opposite Le Transloy. Just at the beginning of the attack, Wood was caught by a high explosive and almost blown to pieces.  Place of burial not known.  Ground was held.
Witness Lieut G J Davern, 29th Battn, Perham Downs Camp.

We were in a raid at Sunray Trench and a party of Germans that were cut off suddenly attacked a portion of the trench where he and others happened to be, when they were bombed.  He was severely wounded and was unconscious till death a few hours later.  He was taken three miles behind the lines to a dressing station. I did not see him hit, but saw him immediately afterwards and helped to dress his wounds.  He was buried at Bernafay Cemetery, grave marked with a cross number and battalion.
Witness J B Bryden 3193  29th Battn B Coy, 8th Platoon, 3d Aux Hosp. Dartford.

I knew him well.  He was my Platoon Officer but I do not know his initials.  There is only one Officer of that name in the battalion.  He was tall and slim, darkish with a slight moustache.  He came from Melbourne and I believe was engaged in dentistry.  He was killed in Sunray Trench on the Le Transloy front.  We were attacked by the Germans, and he was killed by a hand grenade.  He was buried the next day at Needle Trench on the Le Transloy front.  There were a number of men buried there.  I helped to bury him.  He had a beautiful cross with his name on it.
Informant, Pte G W Adams, 3186. 39th Australians, B O, 7th Pltn.  Australian Camp Rouelles.

Lt Wood was killed in a raid just out of Bapaume, Near Le Transloi and Sunray trench.  We were going over he carrying a box of bombs.  We ran out of bombs and he was trying to get the box open when a German bomb struck him in the face and took away one eye.  They took him to the first aid post and as they were carrying him away, stretcher bearer told me they noticed the weight grown heavier and found he was dead.  He was buried just near to place between Needle Dump and Cow trench in a little cemetery made by ourselves.  Probably marked by a cross.
Pte Ashworth, 3506, 29th AIF D Coy.  No V Hospital, Exeter.  (of Caulfield.)

Australian War Memorial Collection

Further testimony can be found in the file.

WOOD, HARRY VASEY, 1907

South Melb Coll;  Dental Coll; DDSc; runner up in lightweight boxing championship 1910.

July 1915 1915; commissioned 6.3.16;  sailed 1.8.16, 2 Lt, 29th Btn;  Lieut 28.12.16.

Killed in action in France on 2nd March 1917.

Record of Active Service of Teachers, Graduates, Undergraduates, Officers and Servants in the European War, 1914-1919, H W Allan (ed).   University of Melbourne, [1926] Also known as  Record of active service, 1914-1918.